The State Forestry Administration sent giant panda "Shenglin-I" back to the wild recently. The panda was set free wearing a global positioning gadget on the neck in a tracking experiment. This marks that China's work in panda breeding has shifted from artificial breeding to panda's training and living in the wild.

Specific to China, giant panda is a species on the brink of extinction. In order to save them, researchers at China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) have been conducting scientific research for years on artificial propagation and conquered difficulties in oestrus, mating and pregnancy. Particularly, since the implementation of six key forestry programs, the survival rate of cubs has been 100 percent for five years in succession. Up to the end of 2004, 163 giant pandas had been born through artificial breeding, which had been able to ensure the stable development of the population in captivity. The habitat environment for giant pandas has been greatly improved thanks to the protective work for wild animals and plants and the construction of nature reserves.

As "Shenglin I" is in the wild, researchers will monitor its daily life and collect timely and reliable data on its places of activities, seasonal migration, oestrus, mating, and search for food. This will pave the way for China to set free artificial populations of giant pandas.

The latest statistics from the State Forestry Administration show, currently, 55 nature reserves for giant pandas have been established in which 53 percent of the habitats of giant pandas and 70 percent of the wild population are protected. The total area of the habitats has exceeded 2.3 million hectares and wild population has been over 1,590.

By People's Daily Online